Day 2

House on Mango Street Lesson Plan

Discussion of Thought Questions

1

Why does Esperanza look up to Marin?

(5 minutes)

Marin is a bit older than Esperanza and seems to know more about the world. Marin has a boyfriend in Puerto Rico, knows how babies are made, and has other nuggets of knowledge. This section shows Esperanza’s youth and innocence, because she sees Marin as someone who is knowledgeable and a potential role model.

2

Why are people afraid of Esperanza’s neighborhood? How does Esperanza feel about that?

(5 minutes)

Esperanza’s neighborhood is poor and predominantly Latino. People who don’t look like them are afraid when they go into that neighborhood because they associate poverty and certain ethnic groups with violence and crime. It makes...

Esperanza is disappointed by the red, ramshackle house. It is not at all the dream-house her parents had always talked about, nor is it the house high on a hill that Esperanza vows to one day own herself. Esperanza is not only ashamed of her home,...